FIA Rally Series was big driver of Middle East Motorsport, says report
Sulayem's regional strategy document says rally championship created heroes and attracted sponsors who helped grow the sport
The FIA Middle East Rally Championship has been a key element in the growth of motorsport in the region, a new report says.
Launched by the FIA, motorsport's world governing body, in 1984, the championship created major public and media attention by turning top Arab drivers into sporting heroes, and attracting sponsors who helped grow the sport.
The influence of the FIA Middle East Championship is underlined in the FIA Middle East Strategy document for 2010-2014, "Driving Motorsport Forward Together", which was unveiled yesterday by Mohammed Ben Sulayem, the FIA's Vice President for sport.
Outlining proposals designed to take Middle East motorsport to the next level, the report was compiled by Sulayem based on months of intensive research with the participation of the regional ASNs (national motor sport authorities). It traces the history of regional motorsport back to the formation of the Automobile and Touring Club of Lebanon in 1919.
Six years later, the Tripoli Grand Prix was held under Italian rule. When the late King Hussain of Jordan took up motorsport in the 1950s, this contributed substantially to the development of the image and popularity of the sport.
The first regional motor sport series, the Rothmans Gulf Challenge, was introduced in 1976 as a marketing initiative, and led to the introduction of European organisational expertise and PR and promotional programmes to capture the interest of the public
The next major development was the launch in 1984 of the FIA Middle East Rally Championship. This, the report says, has contributed substantially to the development of motorsport in the region via the creation of regional sporting heroes that resulted in media and public interest.
The new championship saw Marlboro respond to the Rothmans initiative through team, driver and event sponsorship, in the process greatly improving marketing and media exposure for the sport. Key to the strategy of both sponsors was to develop and promote Arab driving stars to attract media and public interest. National rivalries also contributed to the media appeal of the FIA series.
"Today, our region has a growing pool of talented drivers and administrators," said Sulayem, the FIA's first Vice President from the Middle East. "It now hosts world-class events in Formula 1, the World Rally Championship and the Cross Country Rally World Cup. Coupled with this, regional interests are now substantial stakeholders in F1 and WRC teams, as well as having significant holdings in the automotive industry."
He said the inclusion of Saudi Arabia in the FIA Middle East Championship this year was a welcome development, as was the expressed interest of Iran to also join the series in the near future. But he added: "While we have achieved a great deal, motorsport in the Middle East is still in an early development stage when compared to the more established European regions."
The FIA Middle East Strategy document emphasises that massive social and economic changes have taken place since the FIA Middle East Rally Championship was launched. Added to this, the report says substantial Government support in some countries in the past decade for circuit facilities now require that the FIA plans new initiatives for the motorsport structure in those countries to meet these opportunities and demands.
It says the lesson from the past is that, to drive motorsport forward, it must be based on public and media support for local drivers in national, regional and global competitions.
- Tony Lewis, TOtal Communications Dubai